Printing from multiple colors
Printing form multiple colors/materials on single-headed 3D printer is limited, difficult, but possible. In principle, we can change materials during the print.
Howtos
We’ve tried 2 possible ways how to print multiple materials on single-headed printer. In both cases, we can only change colros in the direction of the print, as seen on this picture:
Way 1: Split GCODE
Split GCODE into multiple files. Each part containing one color.
- Slice the entire STL file
- Find the exact layer where you want to change the color and split the GCODE into 2 files
- Split the files until you have the desired number of them
- Each time you split a file, add
G28 X0 Y0to the end and beginning - Print the first file
- When done, change filament and print the next file
- Repeat until all object are printed
DO NOT DO THIS Way 2: Split STL
Split the STL file and have multiple models. Unfortunately, this is very tricky.
- Cut the STl file to parts containing different colors, add anchor (we will show this on the whiteboard)
- Slice each file
- Print first GCODE
- Remove anchor
- Change filament
- Print next GCODE
- Repeat until all object are printed
Note: We will not do it this way, as it brings lot of unnecessary challenges.
Where to split the GCDOE
To split the GCODE, you have to know where to do it. Find the first layer that supposed to be printed in different color and split the GCODE right after movement to that layer. For easier results, copy that line also to the next file.
